Celebrating 2nd Goal
Big win for Houston tonight (or is it this morning?). One day, tonight’s win over Pachuca in the SuperLiga semis could be seen as a watershed moment for MLS. The day MLS arrived as a serious challenger to the Mexican clubs.
Yes, MLS teams have beaten Mexican clubs before. And, yes, the Galaxy were but a Donovan PK miss from beating the same Pachuca in last year’s final. Too, yes, Houston outplayed Pachuca in last year’s SuperLiga semis. Still, Pachuca managed to pull off both games in the end.
But not tonight. Houston stood tall against Pachuca and took the game when it was there for the taking. Yes, Pachuca got jobbed with the phantom offsides call. But that happens in soccer. Instead of bouncing back, Pachuca allowed Houston to take the ball and, eventually, the game.
Notably, both goals displayed the power and speed of MLS that is suddenly becoming part of its staple. On the first, Waibel perfectly manicured his flick while Boswell bested his fading Mexican defender to the back post. On the second, Mullen simply outpaced his man to the line and curled a pass to the cleverly unmarked Ashe who could not have angled his header any better.
Best of all, it was a great game. Lots of scoring chances. High tempers on and off the field. Electric environment in the stands. Controversial calls. Good soccer all around.
You could tell by Pachuca’s less than honorable exit that this game meant a lot to them. And perhaps more to Houston and MLS, who on this night were the big winners.
